The tale of Mîm as it could have been
by Dis Thrainsdotter
Summary: At the birthday feast of King Bard of Dale Melian tells a tale that shows how it could have been if some things had been different. Sequel to A tale about friendship.
1. Discussions and Feasts

Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 1, Discussions and Feasts

Three months had passed since "the children of Melian" as they were called in Dale had heard the tale about their motherline. They were very proud to hear about their family background and did all they could to prove themselves worthy of the names their mother had given them. They learned as much about their chosen crafts as they could and also practised with their weapons.

One day the kings of Dale, Erebor and Mirkwood had a meeting when they discussed trade between the realms among other things. Finally they spoke about the coming celebrations of King Bard's birthday and the presents that could be expected then. "I think it is a good time to ask Melian to read from the book she mentioned" king Dáin said and the others agreed with him. They decided to write a letter to Melian, asking her to bring the book and read it's tale to all who would be in the Hall of Feasts. Bard told the others that he looked forward to hearing the tale, not to mention to see the book.

When Melian received the letter she told her children that they would be hearing a tale that showed how it could have been had some things been different. "I used to like this tale better than the true story as a child because this tale has a happier ending" she said to them. The children thought that the feast would become even better when the tale was included and all looked forward to the day they would finally hear it.

The day of the feast dawned brightly and everyone gathered on the square before the Great Hall. Everyone brought gifts to the king that was placed on long tables for all to see and talk about. Each was received by the king personally and the giver was thanked. It was clear to everyone that king Bard was well loved by his people and their gifts were treated equally to the ones given by other Kings and rulers.

When they entered the Hall of Feasts, there were tables and chairs for everyone. The tables were soon laden with food and drink and everyone made merry, there were many songs sung and tales told but everyone waited for the tale that Melian would be telling them. Hearing a tale that had been written by two Dwarves and a Man wasn't something that happened every day. Not to mention that the book had been saved from the destruction of Esgaroth when Smaug attacked the town, that made it even more special. When King Bard gave a sign, Melian rose from her place and went to the pulpit where she placed the book. It was very old and had to be treated with care but it was also beautiful, with patterns on the cover that showed the skill of the writers. Then she started to read the foreword to them.

"This book has been written by us; Thorin and Frerin, sons of Thráin and Boromir son of Huor as a gift to Melian daughter of Huor on her birthday. We hope that she will like this gift that we have made together." The foreword was signed by each of them and there was also a comment added by the receiver of the book. Everyone who listened was amazed; here they found the reason why Morwen the healer and her daughter Melian spent more time in Erebor than they did in Dale. Then she gently turned the page and started to read the tale.

TBC


	2. The tale begins

Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 2, The tale begins

This is the tale about my life and also about my father and brother. It is the tale of how we almost were snuffed out, the last of our people, but thanks to a chance meeting in the woods it didn't happen. Because of that some of Morgoth´s plans were foiled and some bad things that could have happened didn't.

But I am beginning the tale in the middle and should start it in its proper place, the beginning, although I am not sure where to begin. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ibun son of Mîm, and for a long time we lived in the Bald Hill, Amon Rudh as the Elves renamed it. My people consisted of the descendants of Dwarves who were driven out from the great cities for something so ghastly that neither their records nor ours show what had happened, the only thing that is known is that they were told that they would never again be allowed to live permanently there although they were allowed to come and trade with those who did. Forced to find new places to dwell they came to the area the Elves renamed Beleriand and lived there long before the Elves came. Not that they recognised the fact, they considered us as beasts that they hunted and killed until our kin from Gabilgathol and Tumunzahar informed them. Then they stopped hunting us and we were named Noegyth Nibin, the Petty dwarves. By the time my tale begins our people had been reduced to the three of us and we came close to being killed ourselves.

We were out one day gathering roots for our winter stores when we came upon a group of Men, Wolf men they were called by others in the area, or rather, they came upon us for we were taken at unawares by them. Some of them came after us and we ran, hoping to escape them. Father told us to run on and said that he would hold the Men, so we ran as fast as we could while father slowed down, allowing the Men to catch up with him. We heard the fight behind us and his plan almost worked because they didn't run after us but one of them sent arrows after us. I dodged the arrow but my brother was hit and would have died that day if it hadn't been for the aforementioned chance meeting.

Two daughters of Men, two healers, were in the forest gathering herbs for medicines. They were regarded as healers in their own right despite the fact that they were still children in the reckoning of Men. We had met them at times and knew that their names were Melian and Emeldir but we had exchanged few words with them. They were always escorted by warriors because there were a lot of Orcs and other foul creatures around after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears when the siege of Angband was broken and not even healers could move about safely, particularly not healers because Morgoth wanted his enemies to suffer. They looked surprised when I ran past, telling them that Wolf men were in the area and that I couldn't stay. A few of the warriors went in the direction I came from and the others remained alert in case some of those Men had followed us.

I thought my brother was with me and kept running for a while but then I realised that I was alone. I went back to the glade where I had met the group of Men and found my brother there, having a wound treated by the healers. I saw the arrow they removed from my brother's back and heard them saying that he would have bled to death if that wound had been left untreated. I was very angry when I heard it and came forward to speak with him. The healers showed me the arrow and one of the warriors said it was the kind of arrow used by the Men from Dor Lomin, who were few in numbers because many had been slain in battle and others had been killed by the evil Men who had served Angband.

Emeldir then went with a warrior to tell those who had left about the situation and to see what had happened to father, who was still missing at the time. In the meanwhile we had a meal with the Men, who treated us kindly in spite of their friendship with the Elves. We sat there talking for some time and then Emeldir and the warriors came back, saying that two of them remained in the woods, keeping an eye on the Wolf men and our father. He had been taken captive but hadn't been badly treated even though he no doubt vas bruised and the Men had bound his hands and feet. "They will remain unseen but if the Wolf men tries to harm him they will act" one of the warriors said to us and it was good to know that father was safe.

Then one of the warriors looked at my brother and said "what do we do now, he needs to have the wound treated. We could bring him with us but I doubt our families will be pleased with that." The healers looked at each other and made the decision without a word being spoken. Melian looked at the others and said "I will go with them, tell father that I will come home when I am no longer needed". The Men nodded in agreement and while Emeldir went home with the warriors Melian came with us to our home. She supported Khîm whose breathing was laboured because of the wound and loss of blood but finally we came to our home. At the entrance Khîm said that he had not expected to see the sunset that day and he was amazed to find that he did.

Melian had been provided with food by the warriors and added that to the food we had in our stores so we had a decent meal together before we went to sleep, Melian and I taking turns to watch over my brother. The following day passed slowly, Melian treated Khîm and I did assorted things in the house to while away the time. That evening father came back but he wasn't alone, the Wolf men had come with him and father told me that he had been forced to give them our halls as ransom, and then he asked what had happened to my brother. I told him that my brother was injured and the healer Melian had come with us to give him the care he needed. He went in haste to Khîms bedroom and was very relieved to find him still living and he was angered when he heard what had happened. Some of the Men had followed us and Melian looked angrily at them, asking who the fool was that had sent arrows against us. One of the Men came forward and was given a tongue lashing, as well as a lesson about the importance of knowing what one aims at, then he was given the arrow and told to put it to better use.

The Men retreated from the doorway looking rather puzzled and father also looked astonished, he had never seen a daughter of Men defend us before her own kindred as Melian did and when they left she turned muttering about foolish persons who couldn't see the difference between good and evil folk. We told father what had happened to us and then father told us his tale. He had indeed been taken captive by the Wolf men and had fought them as much as he could, even biting some of them when he was unable to use hands and feet. Then their chieftain came to the place asking what was going on and his men told him about the fight. He had been asked who he was and what he could give them as ransom for his life and freedom. He had been forced to hand over our home to them as that was the only fortune we had and also to show them the way, because it was so well hidden that none could find it unaided. He looked at Melian, telling her that he didn't know how to pay her but she smiled and said she was sure her father could find a way for us to do so, in the meanwhile she would stay with us because she had taken an oath to aid all good persons who were in need of aid regardless of their kindred. Father and Melian shook hands on that decision and father was well pleased by the fact that my brother was under competent care.

TBC


	3. Friendships made

Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 3, Friendships made.

One of the things that happened during the following days was that we made friends with almost all of the Wolf men, as unlikely as it may sound. With the exception of a few who disliked us and the archer who had fired upon us, we found that most of them weren't evil, they had been driven out of Dor Lomin and longed to be able to go back there. They spoke about what had happened to their families and we found that they had been treated the same way as we were, even worse, because we were just hunted while they were enslaved. They spoke of the battle where many of their warriors had fallen, they also mentioned that their Lord had gone missing and none knew where he was if he still lived. Their chieftain was named Neithan, the wronged, but father sensed there was more to him than met the eyes. For one thing his weapons and armour were clearly made by Elves from Doriath. He also spoke the dialect of Doriath and that showed that he had been brought up there. He became a close friend of father's and they spent much of the following winter together.

A few days after the day the Wolf men came, father brought another group to our home. This group was more welcome though as it consisted of Melian's father who was named Aratar son of Gildorath and some of his warriors. Aratar glared at the Men living with us but Neithan asked us, Melian and Aratar to listen to his tale privately. All of us agreed to do that and it was then we learned who he was. He told us that his name was in truth Túrin son of Húrin and that he was the rightful Lord of Dor Lomin. He had been sent to Doriath by his mother, a kinswoman of Beren son of Barahir, who feared that the Easterlings would kill him so they could keep the land they had been placed in by Morgoth. He admitted that some of his men were no good but told Aratar that most of them were decent, they had simply been forced to make a living as best they could and that he was willing to make amends for all of them. The chieftain listened to the tale he was told and to the promise made by Túrin that they would only attack the servants of Angband.

"Still you have harmed one who isn't one of Morgoth´s servants" Aratar stated, and Túrin nodded. He told us that the archer offered to escort us all when we were out gathering food and healing herbs as recompense for Khîm´s injury and father accepted it, as well as Melian, even though neither of them trusted the Man. Then father and Aratar discussed how we could pay for the aid Melian gave us, finally they agreed that we would make and repair arms and mail for his warriors. Father accepted this, particularly as the chieftain said that our kindred make the best arms and mail that can be found anywhere. The Men had brought food to Melian as well as all the medicines she would need to treat the illnesses and injuries we and Túrin´s men might catch. Melian was given her father's blessing and permission to remain with us, and they parted with Aratar's promise that he would visit as often as he was able to.

Aratar and his men also became friends with us and that was also good. The chieftain felt that we needed to join our forces in order to fight the hoards sent by Morgoth, "the more warriors they face, the better" as Aratar put it. He also considered the tales he had heard and finally stated that he was sure Morgoth had feared us, because he wouldn't have separated us from the Elves of all kindreds otherwise and he thought that the dreadful battle before the Gates of Angband would have ended better had our people been there also.

Túrin asked all of us to promise that we wouldn't tell his men who he was, when father asked him why he said that he feared some of his men might sell the knowledge of his name and news of where he lived to Morgoth in return for permission to return to their homes. Not that he blamed them, they had spent many years away from their homes and if they thought they had a chance to return they would take it. When we heard that all of us promised to keep his name a secret and he looked very relieved. In my opinion Túrin decided to tell us, particularly Aratar, who he was in order to prove that he was a Man who could be trusted. He told us that his predecessor as chieftain of the Outlaw band had been a man who treated everyone badly and Aratar was pleased to hear that the man was dead and could no longer harm anyone.

The following winter was very hard, snow covered the hill and none could move outside the halls. Fortunately we had been able to store vast amounts of fuel as the halls would have been cold otherwise, but our stores ran low and we feared that we would soon be starving. Imagine the surprise we felt when one evening a stranger came to our home and the astonishment that followed when we realised it was an Elf, and from Doriath at that. Father glared at him but it was clear that he was known to Túrin and thus father had no say in the matter.

What followed next was unexpected to all of us; Melian challenged the Elf, who named himself Beleg Strongbow, demanding an explanation from him of two things. The first was why he was there in the first place; the second was why his people had hunted our kinsmen. He answered each of the questions, telling us that he had been sent by king Thingol to see if he could find a way to make Neithan return to Doriath. He tried to avoid answering the second question but Melian pressed him on the matter and finally he admitted that his people had made a mistake when they had regarded us as mere beasts. He admitted that we had defended ourselves and that we had the right to do so, as we had clearly been the first to settle in the area.

The fact that Melian had challenged Beleg on our behalf, as if we were kinsmen, showed Beleg that we were friends and he found that to be amazing. He became even more amazed when Neithan declared us as friends also and asked Beleg why he hadn't been told that tale while he lived with them. Beleg answered that a decision had been made that the matter wasn't to be discussed, that none of them felt any pride when they thought about it. He also said that the Lady of Doriath, a Maia named Melian, had said that the hunts would haunt all of them at one time or other and he found that the time had indeed come upon him.

Father had felt encouraged by Melian and told Beleg about the hunts of our kinsmen, how some had been found dead while others had gone missing. He also spoke of the Exiles and their thefts of homes, even though he admitted that lord Felagund had had the decency to send warning. Beleg looked shaken when he heard father's tale. He offered our father a ransom for our slain kinsmen, even though it wouldn't be enough to slake the anger we felt. To the astonishment of all of us father accepted, stating that if Beleg could offer it then he could show the grace to accept it and the two of them made friends during the days that followed. At father's insistence Melian also made friends with the Elf and so peace was restored to the halls.

TBC


	4. Surprices

Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K+

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 4, Surprises.

When the food and healing herbs Beleg had brought with him had been placed in the storage rooms there was still one item on the table, something that looked like a heap of cloth. Looking at Túrin Beleg told him that his Lord had sent something to remind the Man that he was more than the leader of a small band. Then he removed the cloth and revealed a helm that made father truly astonished. The helm had a dragon as its crest and runes of protection were written on it.

"How on earth did the helm of Azaghal end up in Doriath?" father asked when he had found his voice again. After all, the helm was known to us. We knew that the Lord of Gabilgatol had received it and the dragon on the crest was Glaurung, the father of dragons.

"A good question," Beleg answered, "and the answer is a long tale. Lord Azaghal was travelling to Beleriand when he and his people were attacked by Orcs who were waiting for travellers." Father growled and the rest of us nodded in agreement, as such attacks happened often.

"Fortunately for Lord Azaghal and his people" Beleg continued "Lord Maedhros and a group of his warriors were looking for Orcs and they came to that place. When all Orcs had been slain Lord Maedhros was given this helm as a sign of the gratitude they felt. The Orcs had taken them at unawares and had been a large group so they had been in great danger."

"A good thing that they had been slain" one of the Outlaws commented and Beleg agreed with him.

Then Beleg said "Lord Maedhros admired the helm as it was well made by a skilled smith. He decided that his cousin, Lord Fingon, needed the helm more than he did. He was living closer to Angband after all, and had to fight all the foul creatures that came from the foul thought of Morgoth. But he found that he could not wear the helm so he gave it to Hador Lorindol, the Lord of Dor-Lomin at that time." One by one the outlaws looked at Lord Túrin who suddenly became pale.

"What is it?" Father asked worriedly and Lord Túrin said to the outlaws

"When we first met I asked you to call me Neithan, and you did." They nodded and said that they had supposed he had his reasons not to give his real name and had therefore not asked what that might be. Then Túrin continued and said

"Part of the reason was that it was the way I felt at the time, part of it was that I didn't want my whereabouts to get known in Doriath. I feared that the King would want me brought in chains if he knew where I was because I had killed one of the King's Servants."

Beleg smiled and said "had you but staid you would have heard Nellas describe the meeting between you and Saeros, among other things that he was waiting for you and was armed. Not that it did him much good, he had never used weapons and you had trained from childhood to be a warrior. I told you that last time we met but you did not believe me."

Father noticed that one of the outlaws blushed when that meeting was mentioned and asked the Man what happened. "We met badly" the outlaw said "and Lord Beleg could say quite sharp things about the way we received him. In fact, some of us treated him very badly." Beleg smiled at the man and said he thought it good that he could admit that but he reminded the man about the fact that they had been nervous and waiting for their chieftain.

Then Túrin looked at his men and said "the fact is that Hador Lorindol is my great grandfather and I am Túrin son of Húrin." The outlaws from Dor-Lomin knelt before him and one of them remembered having seen Lord Húrin as a child and also the Lady Morwen whom Túrin did resemble. The man wondered what could have happened to them.

"I do not know" Turin said. "Father went with his host to fight in the Nirnaed and few of them returned home. Father was not among them but none knew what had happened to him." The outlaws nodded in agreement when they heard that. Then Túrin said sadly "then the Easterlings came and one of their chieftains came to our house. Mom met him and apparently she scared him badly because he only stayed for a short time and he never returned to us. But that autumn I was sent to Doriath. Mom thought she could use the fact that she is a kinswoman of Beren Onehand to see me safe in that realm. For a time Lord Thingol sent messengers to my mother and I had word from her. One of the items she sent was this helm and my foster father said it was very valuable and would aid me in the future but I did not believe him at the time. But suddenly the messengers did not return and I have not heard anything about her for years." Beleg confirmed that he had met Túrin and the men his mother had sent with him and had seen them safely to Menegroth and that Túrin had become the Kings own foster son.

Then Beleg continued "my Lord asked me to bring you back to him. He felt that you needed to be reminded that you are not only the chieftain of this band of men; you are in fact the rightful Lord of Dor-Lomin unless your father is still alive. You need to come back with me" but Túrin shook his head and said he could not leave the peoples who live in this area unaided. Beleg did not like that but Túrin convinced him to stay and help us all.

With the aid of Beleg, not to mention the food and healing herbs he had brought, all the men who had been ill recovered. When the winter had become mild enough to allow travel, our Melian´s father came to us to see how we all fared. He was astonished to see the Dragonhelm, as we all called it, but he saw it as fitting that the rightful lord should have it. Aratar, father, Beleg and Túrin sat discussing how the Orcs and other enemies were to be fought and what Morgoth´s plans could possibly be. The only thing we knew was that the Enemy in Angband would reveal his plans when he was ready and that was most probably at a time when we were not. As soon as spring came and the mountain passes opened the foes would come down them into Beleriand and we would need to be prepared for them.

TBC


	5. Retaking the area

Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter M

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 5, Retaking the area

When the mountain passes opened the hoards of Angband followed soon enough. At first only small groups came, "scouts" father snorted as we watched them from the look out, and later they came in greater numbers. It was clear that they didn´t expect to be opposed but that was exactly what they would become. Lord Turin took his men and met Aratar´s men at the agreed meeting place before taking the fight to the foes which they did successfully. They had been taken by unawares and suffered heavy losses as a result. Afterwards they became more wary but our forces were still able to attack them with few casualties, which was a relief to all of us and particularly to Healer Melian. She knew that losses were to be expected but it was still good to see as few of them as possible.

I am quite sure that the Lord of Angband found himself surpriced to hear that his servants could not go through Beleriand unhindered any more, and he was probably also angry. That summer more and more foes came and we were hard pressed to keep them at bay but we were able to do so. In the end their numbers grew smaller, finally they stopped coming altogether which we greeted with relief. Apparently the Dark Lord had decided it wasn´t worth the losses to send his servants our way but went around our area instead. We were able to enlarge the area we controlled until the area between Doriath, Nargothrond and the passes were in our hands.

Beleg kept in contact with Doriath and heard that the Lord there was very happy to see his northers borders safe. Aratar was also happy, for once his people had been able to grow their crops and tend their heards without fear of ambush from the north. He had in fact been able to send word to farmers who had fled south, away from the danger, telling them that the paths were clear and as safe as they could be. He was certain at least some of them would come back the following spring and replant the old fields that had been abandoned because they were attacked so often. Father liked that, they would need tools as well as weapons in order to make the area safe.

The area where we lived became known as Dor Cuathol, the land of Bow and Helm. Lord Aratar built a house where the council which now included father, Turin and Beleg could gather and named it Axehead in order to remind all about our part in keeping the area safe. Father found it odd to be regarded with friendly eyes by the Men of the area but he was also relieved to be able to meet them openly. The fact that Melian lived with us was well known among them as well as the fact that Emeldir visited from time to time. A good number of them now found us to be good neighbours and we were always invited to weddings and birthday parties. We held our parties in the council house, mainly because we found the house most apt for such and Lord Aratar made sure the house was well stocked.

One thing that puzzled our Melian was that Beleg spoke so dismissingly about Elves who had been able to escape from Angband and the mines there. He suspected that their escapes had been orkestrated and that they were in fact spies, a danger Melian agnowledged while also being sure that not all of them were spies. As it was some of them had indeed escaped in truth but they were shunned by their own kin and had to turn elsewhere in order to find a home. We found out that some of them had found homes among Aratar´s people and that Aratar had made them members of his council. They were able to stay in contact with their kin which was good for them and also have good lives in the villages they now called home.

As the area became safer to travel we saw more and more Dwarfgroups passing through, now that they didn´t need to fear attacks. We introduced them to our Resident Healer, who had in fact met a few of them two years ago when an attack had left some of them injured. They wondered how on earth she had ended up with us and she told the tale about what had happened and what the result had become. When she had finished they looked at us in amase and said that we had indeed been fortunate and that the result could have been far worse, something we both agreed with. Father told them about the fear he had felt when I had met him alone and the relief he had felt when he came to my brothers room to see him sitting in bed and eating a soup Melian had made for him. They continued on both to Nargothrond and Doriath and were able to relax as they went, they didn´t need to remain on the alert all the time and expect to be attacked at any moment.

As the number of Men grew in the area all of us became more busy and were able to receive apprentices willing to learn from us. They stayed in the halls which we enlarged to make sure all had bedrooms and that there were large enough smithies to allow all to work well. Melian had some rooms to her own use, where she prepared medicines for all of us. She could now go alone when she gathered herbs but she refused to go unarmed, she admitted that it was partly out of habit and partly because she suspected the Lord of Angband to plan something terrible. In her opinion the calm in the area was not the calm of peace, but of plans being prepared though she couldn´t say how she came to that opinion. Father agreed with her, he had the feeling that something was brewing but like Melian he couldn´t quite put his hands on it. Both of them prepared themselves as much as they could and waited to see what would happen next.

The fact that both our father and Healer Melian were worried wasn´t missed by either Lord Túrin or Beleg. Both of them agreed that the Lord of Angband had left us off the hook for a long time, something he was not in the habit of doing to anyone. They were certain that something was being planned and also that it wouldn´t be pleasant. "He might be waiting for us to let our guard down" Beleg said and both father and Turin nodded in agreement. The only thing we could do was to wait and see what happened next.

This watchfull peace had lasted for two years and winter had turned into spring when a message came from the advance scouts: groups were coming from the mountainpasses. "Looks like they return" Lord Turin said and brought a company with him to see what was going on. All of us worried about them and worked mostly to keep busy but soon enough we received a message asking us to come to the Axehead. When we came there we met not only with the company but also with a group of men, women and children who had come from Dor Lomin. They told us that the Easterlings no longer had large groups near the passes that led to our area. The passes were unguarded so the people who didn´t want to stay were able to leave. Lord Turin asked them if they knew anything about the Lady Morwen and they told him she was well but had her work cut out for her in order to keep those under her care safe. He looked relieved when he heard that and the Men who had come to us were offered land to farm and to live on. They accepted that offer and when they had found good places for villages and fields they started working on them.

TBC


End file.
